


The Halls

by Raven_Pen



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Horror, at fucking night, creepy old mansion, did you seriously think this through?, ghost story, in the middle of the fucking woods, no you didn't
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-18 17:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13686429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_Pen/pseuds/Raven_Pen
Summary: Four girls, a creepy, abandoned mansion in the woods, and a setting sun. Well clearly nothing can go wrong here.





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Small project I'm working on.
> 
> It's not really for this occasion, but Happy Valentines Day 2018.

_November 25, 2017_

_Dear Diary,_

_Heather (Duke) is crazy. I know she’s excited about that new camera. I know she loves that photography class, but honestly, she could have picked any other project that doesn’t require borderline breaking and entering. Whatever, it’s her project, she can do whatever the hell she wants with it. I just wish she didn’t drag us (more like just me) along to every abandoned building, sewer, and whatever the else she finds on the internet, before it gets too cold to go out. I will admit that some of them were cool to see. I’m more mad that I had to toss out that new pair of jeans from crawling through a couple miles of sewer._

_Anyway, Heather said that this next place should be interesting. The other two Heathers (Chandler and McNamara) agreed to come on this one, too. As much as I dislike them, it still feels good to have a larger party from time to time. The last expedition they came on was when we went to those old train tracks just north of town. That was when Heather M. slipped and twisted her ankle. She wasn’t able to do cheerleading for several weeks after that experience. Then I had to listen to Chandler complain to me over the phone for a solid hour about how she got mud stains all over her boots. Fun times!_

_This time, we’re checking out this old mansion Heather read about online. She said it’s called “the Dollhouse” for some reason. I think it’s because it’s full of those creepy porcelain dolls and mannequins they make horror movies about. I hate those so much. I just want to go in, snap a few pictures, and get out._

_I’d better get some rest. After all, Heather also said it’s going a bit of a drive and then a hike through the woods in order to get to “The Dollhouse.” God, that name sounds so stupid._

_Until next time,_

_Veronica Sawyer_

◊ ◊ ◊

   “Heather, when are we going to get there?!”

   “Oh, it’ll probably be about another hour unless you _quit asking me that_!”

   “Shut up, Heather!”

   “Sorry, Heather…”

   Veronica groaned inwardly and checked her watch. They had been wandering around the woods for about five hours. She looked up at the sky. Through the bare branches overhead, she could see that a faint orange glow had seeped in, signaling that the day was coming to an end. The branches rustled as a gust of wind blew through the forest, knocking some of the remaining leaves to the ground. Veronica shivered and quickened her pace, making her way to where the green-clad Heather Duke stood, scrolling through the map on her phone. Veronica tapped her shoulder. The girl spun around, looking slightly annoyed at the interruption. “What?” Duke snapped.

   Veronica flinched at the harshness of the shorter girl’s tone. She sucked in a breath. “Maybe we should head back,” she said, cautiously.

   Duke’s eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to retort, but Veronica cut her off.

   “Just…listen,” Veronica continued. “It’s been five hours, and it’s starting to get dark. I really don’t think that it would be a good idea to be out here at night. We can come back early next week so we’ll have more time to look around.”

   “We’re almost there, Veronica!” Duke argued back. “It’s just that I can’t get this damn map to load!”

   “The reception fucking sucks out here,” Chandler cut in, “and though I _hate_ to agree with Veronica, here, I have to say she’s right. I’m sick of wandering around in circles. You either figure out where we’re going, or we’re leaving.”

   Duke looked down at her feet. Veronica knew Chandler’s word was law, and there was nothing Duke could do about it. The green Heather sighed in defeat. “Yes, Heather,” she murmured.

   The small group set off back in the direction they came. Veronica doubted getting back to the car would be easy. Though none of them would admit it, she was sure they knew that they were so obviously lost. All the trees looked the same in the forest, especially in the fading light. Veronica soon noticed that her third companion, McNamara, had stopped. The blonde seemed to be looking at something in the distance. “What are you looking for?” Veronica questioned, trudging over to the yellow Heather.

   “I think the trees start to thin out over that way,” McNamara replied.

   “It can’t hurt to check it out,” said Veronica. “Right, Heather?”

   She turned to Chandler. The blonde scowled back, clearly debating whether or not she should approve of the decision. A few moments later she huffed, “ _Right_.”

   They changed course and headed in the direction McNamara had been pointing. The ground was covered in dead leaves, making it difficult to avoid tripping over underlying tree roots. Sure enough, Veronica happened to be the first person to find one. She hit the ground, hard, sending a shower of leaves into the air. Chandler laughed, an indication for the other two Heathers to start laughing, as well. “Clumsy much, Veronica?” Heather #1 snickered.

   The brunette grumbled and sat up, wiping the dirt off her face. The ground felt much too hard to be dirt. She began brushing leaves aside, much to the confusion of the three Heathers. Her eyes widened in surprise when she revealed a moss-covered stone pathway beneath their feet. “I think I found something,” she announced.

   Duke kicked more leaves aside and let out a squeal of delight. “It probably leads to the house!” she said, taking off in the direction the path led.

   Chandler groaned in frustration, “And we were _this_ close!”

   They chased after Duke, eventually coming to a large, rusted gate. “Damn,” McNamara said, marveling at the sheer size it.

   Duke tugged on the handle, but it was stuck fast

   “Here,” said McNamara, gently pushing the green Heather aside.

   Westerburg High’s Head Cheerleader stepped back and kicked it with all her might. The hinges of the gate screeched as it swung open. The sound echoed through the forest.

   “Jesus _fucking_ Christ, Heather!” Chandler exclaimed.

   Veronica was still reeling from the din. She ran a hand through her hair, attempting to regain her composure. The Lipgloss Gestapo had already moved ahead into the large courtyard on the other side of the gate. She scurried after them, not wanting to be left behind in the darkening woods. As soon as she passed through the gate, a sudden chill ran through her. She slowed down as her skin prickled with unease. An ominous feeling of dread hung in the air. There was something off about the place.

   What was once a beautiful courtyard now looked like a barren wasteland. It was a major contrast to the lush forest outside. The ground was just a desolate layer of dirt with small patches of dead grass scattered here and there. A large tree stood off to the side, its skeletal limbs reaching up into the sky. It looked as though it had been dead for a long time. However, the strangest thing about the courtyard was the lack of night sounds. Veronica did not notice at first, but it was as though all sound had been sucked from the air. The brunette finally caught up with the group. None of them appeared to be bothered by the foreboding atmosphere, she noticed. Chandler had trained them well.

   “What the hell is that?”

   Veronica’s attention was drawn to an odd, white object on the ground. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the corpse of some kind of animal. The girl instantly felt sick. She took a moment to gather her bearings before turning her gaze back to the wretched thing. It appeared to be the remains of a small canine, a fox, probably. The carcass had clearly been there for some time. All the flesh looked as though it had been picked clean off the bones. Veronica noticed similar carcasses scattered around the courtyard. She shuddered. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.

   The Heathers had gathered around the dead fox, looking at it in revulsion. Duke snapped a picture. “Heather, what the _fuck_?” Chandler said, disgusted.

   She grabbed the green-clad girl’s arm, roughly, and practically dragged her away from the corpse. “Let’s get your pictures, and then get the hell out,” she snapped.

   McNamara scampered after them, glad to leave the corpse behind. Veronica cast one last glance at it. The pale, white skull grinned up at her. She quickly turned away.

   The mansion lay in front of them, tall and foreboding. A dark shadow against an orange sky. Old, rotted wood covered its sides. Much of the paint had peeled off from years of neglect. Many of the roof tiles had fallen off or were just barely hanging on. Its many windows had clouded over from time and weather. Veronica felt like they were watching her.

   The Heathers were already at the large, double doors. McNamara kicked them open, revealing the shadowy interior. The Heathers went in, Duke first, Chandler second, McNamara third. Veronica lingered outside for a moment. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, the ground underneath her boots changing from dusty earth to wooden floorboards. There was no turning back now.


	2. Part II

   The feeling of dread was much stronger inside the mansion. Veronica felt slightly nauseous as she trailed after the Heathers. They stood in a large foyer. Tables and chairs were pushed off to the side. The chandelier that had once hung on the ceiling had crashed to the ground, sending shards of glass flying across the floor. A gigantic staircase stood at the center of the room, leading up to a long hallway. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Veronica noticed that there was a suspicious lack of cobwebs. _Odd_.

   Duke had wandered off to the side, taking pictures of anything that looked interesting. Chandler lingered by the door, on her phone, while McNamara inspected the fallen chandelier. Veronica spotted a mirror on the far wall. Curiously, she moved over toward it. Its silver glass that had clouded over from years of neglect. Veronica wiped away some of the grime. Her eyes widened in surprise. For a brief second she thought she could see the room behind her as it once was. Sunlight filtered through the windows, shining down on a grand foyer. The chandelier floated above it all, its crystals catching the light and sending it bouncing off the walls in a brilliant display. It looked so alive, she mused, and yet… The girl blinked and the illusion vanished. There was only her reflection and the empty room. “No dolls here,” Veronica said, attempting to break through the eerie silence that had settled over the room.

   “Yeah,” huffed Duke, sounding disappointed, “I’m going upstairs.”

   She marched up the stairs. The others followed close behind, not wanting to be left alone in the dark. The hallway was long and narrow with broken lamps between every door. Chandler took the lead as they continued down the darkened corridor, using her phone’s flashlight to cleave a pathway through the shadows. The floorboards creaked unsteadily as they walked over them. A small part of Veronica’s mind feared that they would fall through the rotting wood and into the depths below. She quickly dismissed the thought. Honestly, she needed to stop being so paranoid.

   The hallway turned, sharply, and branched off into two different directions. They looked down both of them. The hallways looked practically identical. “Split up?” McNamara suggested.

   Chandler shut down the idea almost immediately. “ _Hell_. _No_.”

   She stalked off down one of the hallways, an unspoken command for them to follow. They trailed after her. No one would dare disobey the queen.

   Veronica’s attention was drawn to the numerous doors that lined the hallway. For what purpose were there so many rooms? Duke had tried a few earlier, but found, to her disappointment, that they were shut tight. Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica spotted something. A little ways down the hall, she noticed that one of the doors was slightly ajar. She grasped the handle. The brunette hesitated. The small sparks of curiosity were replaced with uneasiness. What could possibly lie behind the door that filled her mind with such uncertainty?

   The chill of the cold, metal doorknob was working its way up her arm. She took a shaky breath and wrenched the door open. It was a nursery. A small crib, decorated with lace and ribbons, was pushed up against the wall. Little birds circled over it, hanging from a mobile attached to the ceiling. A chest of toys sat on the other side of the room. Brightly painted blocks and other baubles were strewn across the floor. A tiny bookshelf stuffed with picture books sat in the corner. Veronica recognized many titles from her childhood. Light shone past the pale white curtains in on either side of the window, illuminating the beautiful murals that covered the walls.

   Veronica’s mind returned to reality when she was hit with the musty stench that poured from the room. The pristine condition of the room melted away. The lace on the crib was dirty and frayed. The little birds had fallen to the floor, leaving only the twisted metal wires of the mobile dangling from the ceiling like a gigantic spider. The blocks were pushed over near the toy chest, which had been turned on its side. The bookshelf was covered in dust. The curtains were stained with dirt, and the murals had faded away.

   The brunette jumped when Duke barged past her and ran into the room. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed, grinning with delight.

   She began snapping pictures. McNamara walked in, gazing sadly at the murals along the walls. Only Chandler stayed outside, looking on uninterestedly. The blonde scoffed and continued down the hall. Veronica decided to follow. She hoped that the others would be able to catch up.

   Despite her complaint about the area’s terrible cell reception, Chandler seemed to be deeply focused on her phone. She probably had a hotspot, or something. She was rich after all. Veronica was stuck with a cheap, little flip phone that barely functioned most of the time.

   Suddenly, Veronica thought she could feel cool air against her skin. Her brow furrowed. She was sure that none of the windows were open, but then again, she had only seen one side of the house from the outside. She looked down the hallway. Most of it was obscured by shadows. The brunette found it strange that Chandler’s cell flashlight was unable to pierce through. It was as though they were faced a solid wall of darkness.

   Wait…Veronica’s eyes widened in horror. “Heather, watch out!” she shouted, grabbing the blonde by the back of her coat and yanking her back.

   “What the _hell_ is wrong with you?” Chandler snapped, glaring at the brunette. “I could’ve dropped my phone!”

   Veronica only pointed. The brunette watched as realization spread across the blonde’s face. There was a gaping hole in the wall in front of them. From where they stood on the second story, they could see the majority of the courtyard and forest. One more step, and they would have fallen right off the edge. “ _Damn_ ,” Chandler breathed.

   Veronica carefully shuffled forward until her toes were just over the edge. She gripped the wall and leaned out. It appeared as though the entire back wall of the mansion had been stripped away. She quickly scuttled back to safety.

   They heard the sound of footsteps running toward them. “What happened?” Duke questioned.

   “Look down,” Veronica said, shaking.

   The green Heather did the same as Veronica had done, peering over the edge and into the darkness below. She pulled her head back in. “That explains it,” she remarked.

   “What? Explains what?” Veronica murmured.

   “The name of this place,” Duke replied. “They called it ‘the Dollhouse,’ right? Well, it’s probably because it’s physically like a dollhouse.”

   Veronica and Chandler still looked confused. Duke sighed, “Y’know how the back of a dollhouse either opens, or there just isn’t one, so you can easily get to the rooms inside?”

   The two nodded.

   “I assume that the mansion would look like one if you looked at it from this side.”

   Chandler quickly regained her composure. “Right. Are you done?” she asked.

   Duke nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ve got enough pictures.

   They walked back down the hall, guided by Chandler’s light. As they continued their journey back, Veronica got the feeling that they were forgetting something. Her brow furrowed, as she chewed on her lip. What was it? She was sure that she had not left anything anywhere, but why did she get a creeping sense of dread as she wracked her brain for answers. Then it struck her. “Guys…” she said, worriedly. “Where’s Heather?”

   The remaining two Heathers turned around and looked at her. They, too, realized the absence of the yellow Heather. “Shit, you’re right,” Duke gasped.

   “She was with you last, I think,” Veronica remarked, “but I don’t remember seeing her when you caught up with us.”

   “Where was that room Veronica found?” Chandler asked.

   “I…think we should’ve walked past it by now,” Duke said. “I don’t remember closing the door, though. Maybe Heather closed it when she left.”

   Heather groaned, “We’ve _got_ to find her.”

   They set off once more. Suddenly, Duke froze. The boards under her feet creaked, unsteadily, and began to splinter. Veronica and Chandler leaped away as they gave way under the green Heather. She barely had any time to scream as she plummeted into the darkness below. Veronica covered her face with her hands, horrified at what she had just witnessed. “Oh my god…” she murmured.

   “Shit!”

   Her her gaze moved over to Chandler. They were on opposite sides of the gaping hole in the floor. Unfortunately for her, Veronica was on the _wrong_ side, the side that led over the edge of another sharp drop. “I’ll try to find another way downstairs,” she said.

   “Right,” Chandler called back. “Meet me back at the door.”

   Veronica nodded and set off down the hall, hoping for the best.

◊ ◊ ◊

   The brunette had been wandering around for god-knows-how-long. After finding a servant’s staircase, she had managed to make it back down to the first floor. The hallway looked exactly the same as the one upstairs, only this one was like a twisting maze. It seemed to continue endlessly, with more and more hallways branching off the main one. Veronica shivered. An unnatural chill had settled over the empty halls. Even worse, she could barely see her hand in front of her face, so she had just been stumbling around in the dark for, possibly, hours on end. After all, she had no concept of time in this hellish labyrinth.

   She breathed out a shaky sigh and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, she began to feel like there was something behind her. She froze. It was growing closer. She tried to move, to flee, but her body was refused to listen. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as whatever-the-hell it was crept up behind her. _Move! Move, dammit!_ she thought.

   Finally, _finally_ , her body obeyed her. She dashed forward, a couple steps, before tripping over a loose board and crashed the ground. She began crawling away, dragging herself across the rough wooden floor. She spotted a small object pushed up against the wall. She lunged forward and grabbed it. The object was small and rectangular, with a smooth sheet of glass covering one side. Her finger brushed against a button on one side. It suddenly lit up, displaying a bright picture of sunflowers with the current time stamped on top. It was a cellphone. McNamara’s cellphone.

   She fumbled with it. With a shaking hand, she unlocked. The yellow Heather had never bothered putting a passcode lock on it. She scrolled through the menus, searching, frantically, for the flashlight app. She jammed her finger down on the icon. The light flickered to life. She spun around, shining the beam of light down the hall. _Empty_. The presence was gone.

   Veronica sighed with relief and pushed herself up. She continued down the hall, now armed with the small flashlight. It was not much, but it provided some comfort in the shadowed corridor. As she walked along, she became aware that her footsteps were not the only ones she was hearing. A second set was trailing behind her. She picked up her pace a bit. The footsteps did the same. She moved, faster, _faster_ , until she broke out into a full-on sprint. The footsteps pounded against the floor as she raced down the hall.

   She spotted a door, halfway open. The brunette threw it open and slammed it shut behind her. All was quiet. She shone the light around the room. It was small and covered with dust like everything else. The only piece of furniture was a rickety, wooden chair at the center of the room, surrounded by old, crumpled-up newspapers that littered the floor.

   What really caught her attention, was the fact that she was not the room’s only occupant. A figure stood in the corner, facing the wall with their head bowed. Veronica recognized the yellow jacket and blonde curls. She opened her mouth to call out to the other girl, but her voice died in her throat.

_No. No. No! NO!_

   She whipped around and grabbed the door handle.

_She had to run. She had to get away._

   The handle refused to turn. She banged on the door as she began to panic. “ _Heather_!” she cried, not caring which one, just not _that_ , anything but _that_.

   She heard the soft creak of heeled boots against wooden floorboards. The thing in the corner slowly turned around. She dared not look at it. She would not look at it. She could not look at it.

_Run run run runrunrunrunrunRUNRUNRUNRUNRUN_

   She clawed, desperately at the door, but it would not budge.

_She was trapped. She was trapped_.

_It_ moved closer. _It_ was almost upon her. Her calls for help descended into incomprehensible cries of terror. Tears ran down her cheeks as the girl tried to escape.

_Oh God please…no_

   An icy hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Veronica Sawyer screamed.


	3. Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story? Updating? Almost an entire year since the last time????
> 
> Yes. Yes it is.
> 
> Be prepared.

_“So, what do you think?”_

_Duke stood, grinning with anticipation, as Veronica scrolled through the webpage on Duke’s laptop. She looked up at Duke. “Hell no,” she said, pushing the laptop back toward Duke._

_“What? Why?” Duke said, taking her computer back. “It’ll be fun! Heather and Heather already said they would go.”_

_“There’s dolls in there. I don’t like dolls,” Veronica replied, turning back to her own laptop._

_“No there isn’t. Where did you get that idea?”_

_Veronica blinked at her. “You’re telling me that a place literally called “The_ Doll _house” isn’t going to have any dolls or weird mannequins in there?”_

_Duke draped her arms over Veronica’s shoulders and rested her chin on top of Veronica’s head. “Come on, we’ll be right behind you the whole time.”_

_“I’m the meat shield, then?”_

_“What? No!” Duke said. “I mean, when have I ever abandoned you?”_

_“Last week, at the sewer, you ditched me as soon as we got to that flooded section. I crawled through all of that_ and back _to get the pictures you wanted,” Veronica tilted her head back to gaze up at Duke. “So, no thanks.”_

_Duke groaned and buried her face in Veronica’s fluffy hair. “I said I was sorry!”_

_Veronica shrugged and returned to her work. Duke stood behind her, making muffled complaints into Veronica’s hair. After a little while, she asked, “What do you want?”_

_Veronica raised a brow. “We’re resorting to bribery now, are we?”_

_“Well, I don’t have any other options, okay? I just don’t want to be alone out there with Heather.”_

_Veronica thought for a moment before saying, “Five bucks.”_

_Duke perked up._

_“…for every doll and/or mannequin we find in the house. Hopefully, by the time we’re finished, I’ll be able to replace those pants.”_

_Duke sighed and burrowed back into Veronica’s hair. “Deal…”_

◊ ◊ ◊

   Duke gasped. Her eyes snapped open. She was alive. She slowly pushed herself up. She clutched her head, wincing in pain. She looked around. The room was almost pitch-dark, the only light coming from the gaping hole in the ceiling. The girl sat on a pile of broken boards, splinters pricking at her fingers. Beside her lay the smashed remains of her camera. “Dammit,” she muttered.

   She had been saving up for months to buy it. She could almost see the hundreds of dollars she had spent flowing down the drain. Duke stood up, shakily. The world spun and she fell back down on her knees.

_Deep breaths. Deep breaths._

   All she had to do was stand up and leave the room.

_Find the others. They’re waiting._

   Right. She stood up once more and wobbled. She slipped down the pile of wood and moved over to the edge of the light. She hesitated, fearing what might happen if she let the shadows consume her. Then, it struck her. Her phone. She dug into her pocket, searching for the small, rectangular device, but came up empty. It must have slipped out of her pocket when she fell. She grumbled quietly to herself. Today was not a good day.

   She reached out, gingerly, slipping a hand into the darkness. Shadows snaked their way up her fingertips. They covered her hand and continued their way up her arm. They stopped when they reached her elbow. Duke took a deep breath and closed her eyes. If anything was out there, she would give it plenty of time to take her.

_One…Two…Three…_

   The air outside the light was frighteningly cold. She could feel the chill settling into her bones.

_Four…Five…Six…_

   Her heart pounded heavily in her chest.

_Seven…Eight…Nine…_

   Did something move? She listened, intently.

   “Ten.”

   Duke pulled her arm free from the darkness, panting. Those had been the longest ten seconds of her life. A small, triumphant grin spread across her mouth. Her little trick had not failed her. She took a step forward and allowed the shadows to envelop her. She held her arms out, feeling for any obstacles in her path. Her hands found a hard, wooden surface. She had made it to the wall. She began to circle the perimeter of the room, searching for the door. Her fingers brushed against something. It felt…furry. She squinted, trying to make sense of what she had found.

   It hung, limply, and covered a small portion of the wall. The edges felt uneven, as though it had been ripped off of something. She could feel several nails sticking out of it. They were bent in several places. Some of them felt like they could fall out at any given moment. The wall behind it was wet and sticky. The mysterious fluid dripped off the object, running down the wall and falling into a small puddle that had formed on the floor.

   Duke leaped away, horrified. She continued following the wall, picking up her pace a bit. Her hands found more skins and the occasional bundle of feathers. She finally discovered a cold, metal knob. She quickly turned it and wrenched the door open.

   Duke stumbled out of the room. She leaned against the opposite wall, still grinning. Thankfully, the hallway was a bit lighter than the room, though not by much. She at least had a vague idea which way she should go. She set off down the corridor, keeping a hand against the wall as she walked.

   Suddenly, a small light flickered to life a few feet ahead of her. The light was pointed away from her and moving farther down the hall. She squinted through the brightness. She could just barely make out a figure in front of it. She moved closer as small details of the figure came into view. She knew that frizzy hair and blue jacket. There was no doubt about it. “Veronica?” she called.

   The brunette did not notice, and continued down the hall. Damn, she must be too far away. Duke walked a bit faster, hoping to catch up to her friend. Veronica seemed to speed up as well, soon breaking out into a run. Duke chased after her. She made sure to watch where she stepped, not wanting to repeat the same disaster from earlier. Veronica ducked into a room, shutting the door tightly behind her. Duke groaned, “Well shit.”

   She reached out to grasp the handle. Then, the screaming began. Duke leaped away, startled. The door handle jiggled as though it were stuck. Veronica had started banging on the door, begging to be let out. “ _Heather!_ ” she screamed.

   Duke launched into action, grabbing the handle and tugging on it, but the door would not budge. Veronica’s final scream tore through the night, before being abruptly cut off. The door swung open and Duke stumbled into the room.

_Empty._

   The blue-clad girl was gone. Duke sank to the ground. Where could she have disappeared to? From where she sat, Duke could not see any other exits to the small room. She spotted the yellow phone on the ground. The flashlight was still on, creating a small beacon of light amidst the shadows. She grabbed it, clutching it close to her chest as she shone it around the room. A bunch of crumpled pieces of paper were shoved into a corner. Her gaze caught the old, wooden chair leaning against the wall. On it sat the pale form of a mannequin. Veronica had been somewhat right in her suspicions about the ancient house. Duke would pay the five bucks she now owed Veronica once she found her. If she found her. She shook her head. No. She refused to think of that.

   The mannequin was slouched over in the chair, as it lacked the proper support for it to be set upright. Surprisingly, it seemed to be in much better condition than anything else in the house. The paleness of its plastic skin formed a ghostly silhouette in the dark room. Its face was a blank, featureless surface, and yet Duke felt as though it were watching her.

   The light flickered. She checked the phone. Through the fresh cracks in the screen, she could see that only a sliver of red was present in the small, flashing icon of a battery in the corner. Five percent, the screen read. It would not last for much longer. She shut off the phone and shoved it into her pocket. She could do this. She would find her way out, one step at a time.

◊ ◊ ◊

   Duke wandered through the darkness, hugging the wall as she made her way through the maze of twisting corridors and empty halls. She opened her mouth to call out, but all that came out was a hacking cough. Her throat was dry from her constant yelling. She leaned against the wall for support, her chest heaving as her coughing fit subsided.

   She reached into her pocket and pulled out the yellow cell phone. She pressed the button to turn it on. She let out a soft sigh when she was once again greeted by the image of a field of sunflowers. Sunflowers…Sun…How long had she been wandering around this godforsaken place?

   She gave one last look at the picture before switching to the flashlight app. The beam of light flickered to life. She shone it down the hall. Everything looked the same, old, rotting wood, doors lining the walls, and- Wait…could it be? It was! She gave a small, victorious laugh. Down at the end of the long hall was an open door. She moved as fast as she could toward her exit. She shone the light through the door to reveal…no. No, it was impossible. Her smile faded. It was the same room she had seen Veronica go into. The mannequin had fallen off of the chair and lay on the ground, its limbs twisted into inhuman angles. The smooth, blank surface it had for a face was turned toward her. She felt as though it were watching her, taunting her.

   She grit her teeth and dug her nails into the wooden doorframe. This whole time she had been going in one big circle. She slammed the door shut and sank to the ground in defeat. A bit of dust shook loose from the ceiling and rained down over her. She punched the wall, hissing in pain when she felt a splinter pierce her hand. She carefully plucked it out and squinted through the darkness to inspect the small wound. No blood. Good.

   Duke sighed and leaned back, resting her head on the rough, wooden surface. God, she was exhausted. It felt as though there was a massive…something weighing her down. A strange feeling of numbness had begun to crawl up her arms. That was fine. Everything was fine. Her eyelids began to droop. She was so tired. The numbness had already spread to the rest of her body. Maybe she could rest for a bit. Yeah, that sounded alright. Just close her eyes and let go. No more worries…No more pain…Nothing…

   She let out a long sigh and relaxed her limbs. Her vision darkened as the shadows grew closer, enveloping her limbs and continuing up her body. They would not stop until they had completely overtaken her, and she was fine with that. Completely fine.

_They’re waiting._

   “I know.”

_You have to find them._

   “ _I know._ ”

_Heather._

   She pulled her knees close to her chest and screwed her eyes shut. “ _Go away._ ”

_Heather._

   She covered her ears. “ _Go. Away._ ”

_HEATHER._

   She whipped around. “ _Leave me alo-_ ” the words died in her throat.

   A light shone down on her, driving the shadows away. The tremendous weight lifted. She squinted through the brightness. It was coming from another phone flashlight. The light moved, revealing the person behind it. Duke’s eyes widened in shock. Heather Chandler stood over her, tapping her foot, impatiently. “Jesus Christ, Heather. I’ve been trying to get your attention for two minutes!”

   Duke sprang up, causing Chandler to leap away in surprise. Duke slowly moved toward her. Chandler raised a brow as the shorter girl advanced. Duke stopped just a few inches in front of her and stared up into her steely gaze. “Heather?” Duke said, hesitantly.

   “What?”

   Duke’s face split into a smile. “ _You’re real,_ ” she murmured.

   Chandler rolled her eyes. “Whatever- let’s just go already.”

   She grabbed Duke’s wrist, towing her along as she began walking. “We still need to find Heather and Veronica.”

   Duke followed as best she could as Chandler stalked down the hallway. Door after door passed by. Duke slowed to a halt, her wrist slipping free from Chandler’s grasp. Her head turned toward one particular door to her left. Something was pulling her toward it, silently beckoning her. She could almost feel it calling to her. She did not even realize she had moved until she was standing directly in front of it. She knew it was unlocked before she reached for the rusted knob.

   She pulled it open, revealing an empty void of darkness inside. Her hand automatically reached for the yellow phone in her pocket. The beam illuminated the room. She looked around, until her gaze fell on the center of the room. Oh…Oh shit. The light died. Her hand dropped to her side. Everything made sense now.

   Chandler’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Heather? Heather are you coming?”

   Duke sighed. Right, she still had some things to take care of first. She toward Chandler and smiled. “You know…this whole time I’ve had this feeling, like nothing about this makes sense,” she started. “I remember the fall, and I remember the pain afterward when I hit the ground, but now…I…it’s all gone.”

   Chandler raised a brow. “What the hell are you talking about?”

   Duke walked over to Chandler. Her body felt so light now, she noticed. She practically glided over the floor and stopped in front of her friend. She placed the yellow phone in Chandler’s hand. “Here,” she said, “it might not do you any good, but you still need it more than me.”

   “What?” Chandler repeated.

   “Just look at me, Heather! No marks, no dust, or anything. I’m completely unharmed!”

   “Yeah, yeah, it’s a goddamn miracle,” Chandler interrupted. “Let’s go already.”

   Duke ignored her. “Think about it, Heather. How could I have made it out of there completely unscathed? What if- What if, I didn’t make it out of there at all?”

   A heavy silence fell over them. Chandler opened her mouth to retort, but could not find anything to say. Finally, Duke broke the silence. “I guess all it took was for me to land in just the wrong position and then…” she brought her palm down against her other hand, loud _slap_ resounded through the empty halls.

   Chandler shook her head. “Bullshit! Fucking- bullshit!” she marched forward and reached out to grab Duke’s shoulder. “We’re leaving right now, and that’s-”

   Her hand phased through the girl in green’s shoulder. She recoiled, eyes wide. Duke let out a humorless chuckle, before she looked up at Chandler, a serious expression on her face. “There’s one more thing I have to tell you,” she started. She could feel herself beginning to fade. “Go down the hall, turn t _he corner, first door on the right. It’s waiting for you there_.

   “What? What’s waiting-”

_I’m sorry._

   Duke vanished. Chandler looked around, wildly. “Heather?” she called. "Heather, if this is a joke, I swear I’ll-I’ll…”

   Silence.

   Her hand tightened around the yellow phone. She let out a frustrated roar and threw it to the ground as hard as she could. Chandler panted, glaring down at the object, before she realized what she had done. She dropped to her knees and snatched the phone back up. The sunflowers were just barely visible through the newly made cracks in the screen. It was alright. McNamara was rich, she could just buy another one, if she had not done so already.

   The screen flickered. Chandler looked at the flashing icon of a battery. Empty. Zero percent. The phone died, taking the memory of the outside with it. The only light came from Chandler’s own cell phone, which, unfortunately, was not doing much better. Ten percent. “Shit.”

   She climbed to her feet and stuffed the yellow phone into her pocket. She began making her way down the hall, still cursing under her breath. Her voice echoed back to her. “ _Shit…shit…_ ”


End file.
